Democratic Congressmen Edward Markey and Stephen Lynch have launched the first ads of the special Senate election in Massachusetts, although each has employed a different strategy for their official introduction to the voters in TV land.

Lynch comes out the gate emphasizing his blue-collar roots. He walks the streets of his district in South Boston, including a housing project like the one he grew up in, talking about how he came up from modest means.

Lynch mentions being the son of a postal clerk and an iron worker, saying his parents "taught me everything."

"Then I became an iron worker for 18 years. Nights and weekends I went to college, and then to law school," Lynch says in the ad as music plays softly in the background. "In Congress I've learned that doing what's right means knowing when to compromise and when to stand firm. I'm Stephen Lynch and I approve this message because I believe every working family deserves someone fighting for them."

Markey's ad opens with the infamous clip of the late National Rifle Association president Charlton Heston holding a gun above his heads and saying "from my cold, dead hands."

The ad goes on to focus on Markey's support for gun control legislation.

"Long before tragedy struck the nation, it was Markey that forced the Chinese to stop exporting assault weapons to our country," a narrator says, as text cites an August Boston Globe column mentioning the referenced 1994 legislation. "Now Ed Markey's joined President Obama, fighting for tougher gun laws to make our communities safe."

Then, Markey comes walking toward the camera in a black jacket with a playground behind him. Markey says he wants to take the fight for gun control from the House of Representatives to the Senate.

All recent polls show that both men, along with the three Republican challengers, are relatively unknown to the statewide voters who will ultimately decided the winner. Markey and Lynch's foray into TV advertising ahead of the Democratic primary shows the duo is wasting no time hitting the most people possible in one swoop, and not shy about spending campaign cash.

But how long that cash lasts may be an issue for Lynch, who's campaign coffer had about $760,000 in it as of December 31 compared to Markey, who was sitting on just over $3 million.